SW News: A study conducted by the Catholic bioethics institute based in Oxford in the UK revealed that the rate of "self-initiated" suicides is more in countries that have legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The research conducted by the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Europe and North America also disclosed that self-initiated deaths were higher in women. David Jones, the author of the report, who is also the director of the bioethics institute said, the findings revealed that by encouraging assisted suicide, suicide was being encouraged.

He stated that the legalization of euthanasia or assisted suicide can harm people who are finding it difficult to consider their lives worthy and people who struggle to find meaning in their lives. "If we legalize what is euphemistically called 'assisted dying,' then more people will kill themselves, and not only people with chronic or terminal illnesses," he said.

Jones continued saying, "Belgium, which legalized euthanasia in 2002, currently has the highest suicide rate in Western Europe. In the Netherlands, which has more euthanasia than any country in the world, suicide is also rising.”

The study titled, "Suicide Prevention: Does Legalizing Assisted Suicide Make Things Better or Worse?" published on 8th November on the Anscombe website also revealed that the states where “physician-assisted suicide” is legal have more number of suicides compared to those states who had to withstand from legalizing the law.

It also showed that "Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Suicide Rates in Europe" found that the introduction of physician-assisted suicide "is followed by considerable increases in suicide (inclusive of assisted suicide) and in intentional self-initiated death," with women most "placed at risk of avoidable premature death."